Technology

Google rebrands Bard to Gemini as it unveils paid subsciptions for new AI features

Company is rolling out new mobile app in the US and going head-to-head with Microsoft on AI

Gemini Advanced and the Google One AI Premium plan are now available to more than 150 countries and territories. Photograph: Justin Sullivan/Getty Images

Ciara O'Brien
Thu Feb 8 2024 - 14:50

Google has renamed its Bard AI chatbot as Gemini, with a new mobile app for Android and announced plans for a paid subscription that would give users access to the most powerful version of its model through Google One.

The tech giant, which is going head-to-head with Microsoft and Open AI, said it will also build the Gemini capabilities into its productivity software, such as Google Docs, Sheets, Slides and its Gmail email service.

Gemini’s advanced AI technology is capable of analysing text, images, audio and video and answering more complex queries. Gemini can also understand, explain and generate high-quality code in programming languages, such as Python, Java, C++ and Go.

The new Google One AI Premium plan will include 2TB of cloud storage and access to Gemini Advanced, which uses the powerful Ultra 1.0 model, and will cost €22 a month for Irish users, with a two-month free trial. The non-AI premium plan costs €10 a month.

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[  Google unveils Gemini AI model as it goes head to head with ChatGPT ]

Gemini Advanced and the Google One AI Premium plan are now available to more than 150 countries and territories, initially in English, but other languages will be rolled out over time.

The move steps up the competition with Microsoft, which has launched a number of “co-pilots” for its productivity software, available to users on a subscription basis.

Google said it is also rolling out a new Gemini app for Android, initially in the US, and making it available through the Google app on iOS. It is not yet clear when the app will be available to Irish users.

Google said Gemini could be used in place of Google Assistant on Android devices, accessed through the power button or by using the “Hey Google” command. Google Assistant will still be available to those who use it through smart speakers and other smart home devices.

Ciara O'Brien

Ciara O'Brien

Ciara O'Brien is an Irish Times business and technology journalist

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